2008 Woodie Awards
Instructors beating the new system
Natalia Diaz
Issue date: 4/22/05 Section: Opinion
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Getting points for going to class or for participating in class?
Participation and attendance are some of the requirements to pass of most of the classes. Most Delta College teachers divide the points of grades on attendance, homework, participation, tests or quizzes and final. But recent information had shown there are some teachers at Delta who are taking participation as attendance. They are giving points to their students for participating in class and not being in class. Students might think if they miss a class they could recover or get the points they lose the next time, but this assumption is wrong.
Teachers give a certain number of points each class and if a student does not attend to a class he or she loses the points and cannot recover them because they were supposed to attend the class in order to get the points for participation. This kind of grading does not change the number of points a student can get; it only changes the way students get their points.
Analyzing the subject can prove the grading based in participation is the same as grading based on attendance.
"Just for being here you get five points of participation," a Delta College instructor said. But what about if a student does not go to a class? He or she did not get any points because he or she was absent and obviously could not participate. If students are absent, they lose all points that teachers give for participation.
Now the question is, why say teachers grade based on participation and on attendance if it is the same?
Participation and attendance are some of the requirements to pass of most of the classes. Most Delta College teachers divide the points of grades on attendance, homework, participation, tests or quizzes and final. But recent information had shown there are some teachers at Delta who are taking participation as attendance. They are giving points to their students for participating in class and not being in class. Students might think if they miss a class they could recover or get the points they lose the next time, but this assumption is wrong.
Teachers give a certain number of points each class and if a student does not attend to a class he or she loses the points and cannot recover them because they were supposed to attend the class in order to get the points for participation. This kind of grading does not change the number of points a student can get; it only changes the way students get their points.
Analyzing the subject can prove the grading based in participation is the same as grading based on attendance.
"Just for being here you get five points of participation," a Delta College instructor said. But what about if a student does not go to a class? He or she did not get any points because he or she was absent and obviously could not participate. If students are absent, they lose all points that teachers give for participation.
Now the question is, why say teachers grade based on participation and on attendance if it is the same?